Football

Wales vs South Korea player ratings – Cardiff friendly ends in bore draw

September 7, 2023 11:16 pm

  • On an unseasonably warm night in Cardiff, Wales’ friendly against South Korea was played at a slow pace and produced no goals.
  • The visitors dominated possession but struggled to pick holes in the Welsh defence with the hosts coming closest to a breakthrough after Kieffer Moore’s Second Half introduction.
  • The result does little to ease the pressure on Wales boss Rob Page or his Korea counterpart Jurgen Klinsmann who is winless in 5 matches since taking charge.
Wales vs South Korea friendly
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Wales player ratings

Danny Ward 6/10 – Only required to make one comfortable save on a quiet night for the Wales keeper.

Neco Williams 6/10 – A testing hour against a Korean side who frequently attacked on his flank.

Ben Davies 8/10 – The most composed of the three Welsh centre-backs.

Chris Mepham 7/10 – A committed display from Mepham who played like it was a competitive fixture and even set up the best chance of the game for Moore.

Joe Rodon 6/10 – Made a Second Half error that could’ve gifted Korea a breakthrough had Roberts not been alert to the danger.

Connor Roberts 6/10 – Not at his best going forwards but did a solid job for the team.

Harry Wilson 5/10 – A bit wasteful in possession and could have done better with a First Half opportunity.

Ethan Ampadu 6/10 – Uneventful 45 minutes before being withdrawn at the break in preparation for Monday’s qualifier against Latvia.

Jordan James 7/10 – A solid outing for the inexperienced 19 year old midfielder who looked at home on the international stage.

Nathan Broadhead 7/10 – A confident first start for the in-form Ipswich man who was a threat prior to the interval, but faded out of the game after it.

Brennan Johnson 6/10 – Limited service prevented Johnson from having much impact on the game during his 45 minutes on the pitch.

Substitutes

Kieffer Moore 7/10 – Provided a different kind of outlet for Wales and came close with two headers, hitting the post with one.

Joe Morrell 6/10 – Had limited impact in a slow game.

Wes Burns 6/10 – A couple of lively breaks but his final ball let him down.

Aaron Ramsey 7/10 – His introduction helped spark Wales’ best spell with Ramsey busy as ever in the middle of the park.

Josh Sheehan 6/10 – A steady performance from the Bolton man.

David Brooks N/A

Wales vs Korea
PA Images / Icon Sport

South Korea player ratings

Kim Seung-gyu 7/10 – Did well to deny Wilson in the First Half. The busier of the two keepers.

Lee Ki-je 7/10 – Some clumsy challenges but a threat going forwards.

Kim Min-jae 7/10 – A physical display helped limit Brennan Johnson’s impact on the game.

Jeong Seung-Hyeon 6/10 – Rarely tested until the latter stages of the game.

Seol Young-woo 8/10 – Often South Korea’s main outlet with a lively display on the right flank. 

Lee Jae-sung 6/10 – Struggled to pick holes in the Welsh backline.

Hwang In-beom 5/10 – Replaced after an ineffective hour.

Park Yong-woo 6/10 – Hobbled off injured in the closing stages.

Hong Hyun-seok 6/10 – Combined well at times with Seol but didn’t create any clear openings.

Cho Gue-sung 6/10 – Worked hard up front and involved in some good link-up play with Son, but never looked like scoring.

Son Heung-min 7/10 – Dropped into many deep positions to get on the ball, but like his team, his influence faded in the Second Half.

Substitutes

Lee Soon-min 6/10 – Limited impact after his 61st minute introduction. 

Hwang Hee-chan 7/10 – One of Korea’s more dangerous attacking players on a frustrating night for Klinsmann’s team.

Hwang Ui-jo N/A

Yang Hyun-Jun N/A

Lee Soon-min N/A

Player of the match: Ben Davies

Up against good friend and Spurs teammate Son Heung-min, Ben Davies stood out on the kind of night where defence triumphed over attack in warm, difficult conditions. The 30 year old enjoyed an unflustered evening as he helped to marshal a Welsh defence that is prone to the odd individual error.

WIth only 28 minutes of Premier League action under his belt so far this season for Ange Postecoglou’s team, it was very much a useful work-out for Davies who played the full 90 minutes. He’ll have a big role to play on Monday as Wales play what is effectively a “must win” game in Latvia as they aim to breathe life into their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

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